Beyond his on-court success, Brad Gilbert built a strong coaching legacy with World No. 5 Coco Gauff. A 14-month partnership that delivered her maiden Grand Slam at the 2023 US Open before ending in September 2024. Now back on commentary, the veteran found himself in the spotlight again, this time as Chris Evert playfully aimed a cheeky on-air dig his way.

World No. 78 Danielle Collins recently appeared on Tennis Channel’s Big T podcast. She was joined by CoCo Vandeweghe and veteran coach Brad Gilbert. During the conversation, Collins spoke openly about something that frustrates her. She said one of her biggest pet peeves is the growing ego of some coaches.

“One of my pet peeves, I think the coaches are getting way too big of egos, and they don’t know what to do with themselves,” she said.

Vandeweghe supported Collins’ view and shared her own perspective. She stressed that matches are decided by players, not coaches, no matter how much guidance they provide.

According to her, the outcome always depends on the player performing on the court.

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“It’s the player that’s playing, the player is going to win. The player is going to lose. Coach gets way too much credit and too much notoriety. I could care less about a coach. Sorry, coach BG, like you didn’t take the racket and execute the forehand or the backhand,” Vandeweghe said.

Collins agreed and took the point further. She criticized how some coaches present results on social media as a shared achievement instead of individual success.

“I am with you, CoCo. I think these coaches have way too big of egos. I am sick of the Instagram posts and social media posts where these coaches refer to the players’ result or win as a ‘we’ experience,” Collins chimed in.

The discussion quickly gained attention across the tennis world. Former World No. 1 and 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert also reacted to the conversation.

Evert agreed with the overall sentiment but responded with humor. At the same time, she showed sympathy for Brad Gilbert.

“Wow…poor Brad! But I kinda agree,” she commented.

During the discussion, Gilbert himself reacted to the remarks. The former World No. 4 appeared surprised but chose to handle the moment lightly.

He joked about being the target of the comments. “Ouch! I feel like I’m getting darts at me.”

While the exchange sparked plenty of laughs, the podcast addressed serious issues, as a recent incident in tennis may have prompted the broader discussion.

Patrick Mouratoglou’s Djokovic claim faces pushback from Rafael Nadal and Rick Macci

One recent example of a coach drawing major attention came from Patrick Mouratoglou. The renowned Frenchman spoke about Djokovic’s pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam title. He shared his view in a video posted on social media. According to him, motivation is the key issue.

“The only obstacle that prevents Novak from winning Grand Slams is his motivation,” said the Frenchman, who has coached Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.

He went further and questioned Djokovic’s hunger for another major. Mouratoglou suggested that the Serbian would have already achieved the milestone if the desire was stronger.

“I don’t think he’s motivated enough for the 25th, otherwise I think he would have done it.”

However, the comments did not go unchallenged. Former coach Rick Macci strongly disagreed with the assessment. He responded publicly on his X/Twitter account.

“Was asked about Mouratoglou‘s latest silly dig that Novak is not motivated enough to win another Slam and he only wants people to talk about him,” Macci wrote.

Macci defended Djokovic’s mindset and questioned Mouratoglou’s intent. He made it clear that he believed the Serbian remains highly driven.

“Half right, but wrong person. He (Djokovic) is unreal motivated to win another Slam, and Patrick wants people to talk about him.”

Mouratoglou also stirred conversation with another opinion. He ranked Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner ahead of Djokovic in terms of current level. The remark came after Djokovic defeated Sinner at the AO.

In an Instagram post, he wrote: “For those who think Djokovic’s win over Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals means the big three plays better tennis than Alcaraz and Sinner: that’s a far too simplistic view.”

The discussion grew when Rafael Nadal reacted to the post. In a now-deleted interaction, Nadal replied with laughing emojis and a face-with-hand-over-mouth emoji. Many fans interpreted it as a quiet disagreement.

Later, Nadal clarified that he did not want to create controversy. He calmly explained his position and the reasoning behind his reaction.

“I don’t see the controversy. I don’t want to generate controversy, but the point is that the analysis of that gentleman is wrong. Because it’s as if you analyse today’s [Lionel] Messi with the Messi who played in Barca or the Cristiano Ronaldo who plays today with the one he played in Real Madrid, this is simply my point of view.”

The debate has once again raised questions about the influence and responsibility of coaches in public discussions. When strong opinions come from high-profile figures, they often shape narratives around players. 

What do you think about a coach’s role in such debates, especially when it comes to Patrick Mouratoglou’s views? Share your thoughts below.